The Perk, Thursday Afternoon

[firstofitskind]

Yesterday had been pretty good at scratching that handwavy itch to get out and fight something, Liam had to admit. Enough so that he felt justified in changing up his routine a bit. He'd still gone for the usual early-morning run, but instead of gym after class he headed to the Perk.

No eggnog chai yet, sadly, so he had to settle for regular chai and a danish as he got himself a spot by the window. He contemplated opening up the journal he'd been given as 'homework' as a sorts by the therapist he'd been seeing on the mainland, but ultimately decided that that was the sort of thing that could wait until he was at home. For now, he'd just be catching up on news via his Global, occasionally pausing to watch in amusement as rubber bats flitted around the shop.

[ooc: Any more open and this would be an outdoor cafe.]

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[justice_undone]

It was strange how she had become accustomed to drinking tea since arriving here. Or perhaps not, it was a good way to pass as human, and she did appreciate it, in an ambivalent way. So she ordered a cup - loose leaf, which the baristas had no problem making for her - and looked around for a seat.

[firstofitskind]

Liam had glanced up and spotted Breq when the door to the cafe opened. When he saw her looking around for a seat, he smiled and waved her over.

“Hey, Breq.” If she wanted company, she was welcome to come join him.

[justice_undone]

She made an effort to smile and walked over to Liam's table.

"Do you mind if I join you?"

A little company would probably be good.

[firstofitskind]

He wouldn't have waved her over if he had minded!

"Go for it," he said, gesturing to the empty seat at his table.

[justice_undone]

Placing her mug on the table, she pulled out a chair and took a seat.

"Nice not to have to shoot clowns on the way here."

[firstofitskind]

"Today's strangeness is actually kind of cute," Liam said by way of agreement, glancing up to where those plastic bats were still flying about.

[justice_undone]

"The store is full of them," Breq said, taking a sip of her tea. "But today is the holiday, isn't it? So I'm guessing tomorrow will be back to normal."

[firstofitskind]

"It is," Liam confirmed. "There's a party and everything." And Steve and Tony weren't hosting, so it wouldn't get weird. Well. Any weirder than Halloween usually was. "And then tomorrow people will start ramping up for Christmas."

[justice_undone]

"Oh, yes, the gift giving holiday," Breq said. "I'm going to have to prepare the store for that."

[firstofitskind]

"Music's usually a pretty popular option, as far as gifts go," Liam agreed.

[justice_undone]

"What kind of music do you like?" Breq asked, curious.

[firstofitskind]

Liam paused, mug of tea halfway to his lips.

"I don't... you know, no one's ever asked me that before?" he admitted.

[justice_undone]

"Never? But do you like music?"

Music was generally popular here, so she had expected he would.

[firstofitskind]

“I do,” he confirmed. “Or, I mean, I don’t dislike it, I guess? But I don’t know if I have a favorite type.”

Not one of his own, anyway, though he could tell you about the kind of music his human parents had preferred.

[justice_undone]

"Do you know any songs?" Breq asked.

[firstofitskind]

Liam’s expression went blank for a few moments as a particular memory came to mind, one of Beckett’s.

“In Dublin’s fair city, where the girls are so pretty, I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone...” he sang, in a voice that was in tune, though clearly untrained.

[justice_undone]

"It's an Irish song, isn't it?"

She had spent a lot of time learning Earth's music traditions.

"I haven't heard it though. Thank you for sharing it with me."

[firstofitskind]

Liam nodded. "My mother's mother used to sing it to her when she was little," he shared. "To help her go to sleep."

[justice_undone]

"So that's where your family is from?" Breq asked.

[firstofitskind]

"My mother was, yes," Liam confirmed. "My- father-" the slightest hesitation there, both because thinking of Sandoval as an actual parent was sometimes bizarre even if Liam fully acknowledged the genetic contribution and because he technically had two fathers, "- was from the Philippines."

[justice_undone]

Breq noticed the slight hesitation. "The Philippines? I don't think I've heard any music from there yet."

[firstofitskind]

“I don’t really know anything about their music,” Liam offered apologetically. Sandoval hadn’t had much time for things like hobbies, after all. Liam suspected that if he dove a bit deeper into his father’s memories, he might be able to dig up something, but... the idea of doing a deep dive into Sandoval’s psyche wasn’t exactly appealing.

[justice_undone]

"You weren't close?" Breq asked. "Or did you just not have much contact with that side of the family?"

[firstofitskind]

“I was taken from my mother shortly after I was born,” Liam told her. “My father- he never even knew I existed.”

[justice_undone]

"I'm sorry," Breq said. "I didn't mean to pry."